Somewhat bizarrely, the Hammers could find themselves at the centre of a crazy summer of transfers, as it may be their move for Manchester United outcast Javier Hernandez which sets the ball rolling.

After an outlay of some £156 million when Louis van Gaal took over from David Moyes last summer, the Red Devils are planning to spend a similar amount at the end of this season according to ESPN.

But with Financial Fair Play regulations limiting the spending of even Europe's top clubs, as has been seen in a more frugal Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, there must first be a balancing of the books.

It is no surprise that the Javier Hernandez's name keeps being bandied about as the first departure from Old Trafford. There would be plenty of takers and the approximate £15 million fee he is likely to command, in addition to freeing up space on an ever increasing wage bill, would give van Gaal more room to manoeuvre with any bid to bring either Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale back to the club, as reported by the likes of the Daily Mail.

Madrid are unlikely to keep the 26-year-old after using him sparingly this season. He has played just 16 times and mostly as sub, netting only four goals for Los Blancos.

Many feel his playing style and pace are more suited to the quick tempo of the Premier League. West Ham would have their own bookkeeping to do of course with the likes of Carlton Cole and possibly captain Kevin Nolan on their way out of Upton Park.

In quotes reported by the Daily Star after finally scoring his first La Liga goal at the Santiago Bernabeu in a 3-0 victory over Eibar at the weekend, Chicharito as he is known, admitted he was frustrated with how the move had panned out.

He said: "I can't talk about negative things when I've just played 90 minutes. The team won and we're still in the fight for the title.

"I've talked about it before and it's frustrating when you don't get opportunities.

"Any player who doesn't play is unhappy. But I want to be professional and I appreciate everyone who has supported me."

The self-sufficient Gunners finally find themselves in a position to bid big for world stars after years of financial prudence as evidenced by the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent years.

Arsenal have plenty of space on their wage bill for a signing like Di Maria and he certainly fits into Arsene Wenger's style of play. Meanwhile, the Gunners can surely cool their interest in Real's Sami Khedira after the emergence of Francis Coquelin as their midfield enforcer this season.